


Watching

by Stormchild



Category: Young Justice
Genre: Gen, Substance Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-17
Updated: 2013-05-17
Packaged: 2017-12-12 03:46:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/806846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormchild/pseuds/Stormchild
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Roy won’t let anyone get close to him, so Dick bugs his apartment to make sure he’s okay.</p><p>YJ-verse. Junkie!Roy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Watching

Dick knew that bugging Roy’s apartment was a bad idea. It was an invasion of privacy and a breach of trust. Trust that Roy didn’t have much to give these days and frankly, Dick couldn’t blame him.

It became a habit, almost routine, to check up on Roy before he went to sleep. He almost always watched longer than he intended to. But this was the closest he could get to Roy when Roy wouldn’t let anyone in.

Most nights, Roy would shoot up and fall asleep without much difficulty. Those were the best nights. The nights where Roy poisoned himself to take the pain away. Those were good nights. The archer would be asleep in minutes and watching him, Dick could almost pretend it was like before. Back before things went to hell and before Roy turned to drugs to cope. When they could still call themselves kids.

The nights that Roy skipped his dosage were the worst. No matter what happened, they were the worst. Dick refused to sleep until he saw that Roy was asleep. Even then, on those nights, he often couldn’t tear himself from the screen. It would take anywhere from half an hour to three hours for Roy to fall asleep. Dick’s relief always felt short lived. No matter how long the peaceful portion of Roy’s rest was, it was never enough. 

When Roy was quiet, face buried in the pillow with thin sheets strewn across his body, Dick ducked out to grab a late snack or quick shower. Most times, he would be back before Roy started fidgeting. Sometimes, like tonight, Dick slipped back into his room only to be greeted by the sound of Roy screaming. 

Dick raced to the computer. A part of him almost wished to find Roy being attacked. He could have called Green Arrow or Black Canary or someone who was closer to go to him and help him. But he can’t because no-one’s hurting Roy but himself.

Roy was thrashing on the bed, eyes squeezed shut, fighting off some invisible enemy that Dick can’t see. He could only imagine who it was tonight. Vandal Savage. Lex Luthor. Sportsmaster. Or maybe it was something else entirely. Dick knew he couldn’t do anything more than watch and give silent support. Some nights, he was terrified that Roy wouldn’t wake up from these night terrors. That he would be trapped fighting demons.

Dick’s vision blurred and he realized that he was crying. He didn’t bother trying to hide it, there was no-one to see. He wanted nothing more than to protect Roy in all the ways that he’s failed to do so. But he couldn’t. He could only watch, his heart breaking, as Roy let out a terrified scream that sounds like it started off as a sob.

Roy managed to disentangle himself from the sheets and kick them off the bed. His body was slick with sweat but soon, though not soon enough, his breathing evened out. He woke up only two hours after falling asleep, feeling more exhausted than before. He slipped into the bathroom and pulled his kit from under the sink.

Dick always hated this part the most. Gone were the nights where Roy would call him or Kaldur or Wally, just to hear the sound of another human’s voice to calm him down. No, now he made himself numb to everything past the prick of the needle in his arm. Dick could see the change happening almost instantaneously. The small smile that spread across Roy’s lips was the only reason Dick didn’t destroy his entire stash. 

Dick seemed to live for those smiles. The smiles that let him see some remainder of his Roy. A reminder that his Roy was still in there somewhere. If Roy didn’t want anyone getting close to him, then Dick would keep watching from afar, waiting for his Roy to come back.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me at mechanicalpoet.tumblr.com.


End file.
